There’s another busy rugby weekend ahead with all roads leading to Castlebar for Connacht and Munster in the URC, while the Irish women head for Parma for the second game of their Six Nations game. Gerry Thornley talks to Irish prop Niamh O’Dowd ahead of that encounter, the 24-year-old from Wexford having made a big impression in last weekend’s defeat by France.
And Gerry has the latest from the Connacht camp in the build-up to that URC tussle. He talks to Colm Tucker who is in charge again in the absence of head coach Pete Wilkins who remains on sick leave. Johnny Watterson is on Munster-watch, the province buoyed by the return to the fold of Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash and Peter O’Mahony.
Gordon D’Arcy, meanwhile, salutes the contribution of players born beyond these shores to Irish rugby down the years, Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman among those standing out from the current crop. It’s up to the younger Irish crew, he writes, “to absorb as much as possible while they are available to them”.
In soccer, Gavin Cummiskey reports on a twist in the controversy surrounding Colin Healy’s departure from the role of assistant coach of the Irish women’s team. Manager Carla Ward suggested that Healy could yet return should Amber Whiteley, one of her current assistants, be appointed Liverpool manager.
On the men’s front, the future looks bright – Ireland have qualified for the Under-17 World Cup for the very first time, Muireann Duffy bringing news of their 5-0 win over Iceland which secured their slot in November’s tournament in Qatar.
In Gaelic games, Seán Moran looks at the continuing struggle to squeeze football’s sundry competitions in to a crammed calendar, while Gordon Manning has word of all 45,000 tickets for next month’s hurling league final between Cork and Tipperary selling out in under 24 hours.
In basketball, Clíona Foley talks to Claire Melia, a central figure in the “Cinderella story” of Baxi Ferrol reaching the European final, the Monasterevin woman outstanding for the Spanish club since she joined them last summer.
Ian O’Riordan, meanwhile, reports on World Athletics becoming sport’s first governing body to introduce mandatory swab testing to “protect” the female category, WA president Sebastian Coe vowing to “doggedly protect” female sport, adding that “we’ll do whatever is necessary to do it”.
And in horse racing, Brian O’Connor reports on the findings of the sport’s Regulatory Board following the death of jockey Michael O’Sullivan in Thurles last month due to head injuries sustained in a fall, the board attributing the tragedy to “the inherent risks of National Hunt racing”.
TV Watch: Bayern Munich and Arsenal have 2-0 deficits to turn around in the second leg of their women’s Champions League quarter-finals – Bayern are away to Lyon (TNT Sports 3, 5.45pm) and Katie McCabe’s Arsenal host Real Madrid (TNT Sports 1, 8pm).
